Railway draft rigging



Oct. 18, 1932. s. a. HASELTINE 1,382,837

, RAILWAY DRAFT, RIGGING 7 Filed June 6, 1928 Patented a. 18, 1932 UNITED) STATES PATENT OFFICE STACY IB. HASELTINE, 0F .GHICAGO, ILLINOIS,.ASS IGNOR TO vX7; H. MINER, INC., OF I CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

RAILWAY DRAFT RIGGING I Application filed June 6, 1928." Serial No. 283,204.

The invention relates to improvements in railway draftriggings.

In railway practice, a' frequent source of trouble has been found in the. inability to maintain the coupler in proper horizontal condition to aline truly with the shock absorbing mechanism of the railway draftrigging. This is especially true where gears of relatively long travel are employed, for ex- 19 ample, wherein the travel in buff is greater than in draft.

The main. object of my invention is to overcome the objections pointed out by providing a slidable supporting member forthe coupler shank which supports the shank for .the greater portion of its lengthand especially at a point closely adjacent the coupler head or horn and wherein the slide also provides a support for the front main follower which cooperates with the shock absorbing mechanism.- i

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a railway draft rigging including a horizontal yoke member, in combination with a sliding coupler support of the character indicated means for supporting the side arms of the horizontal yoke to thereby further assure proper alinement of. the parts.

Other objects of the invention will more 39 fully and clearly appear fromthe description and claims hereinafter following;

In the drawing, forming a partof this specification, Fig. 1 is a longitudinahvertical, sectional view through the underframestructure of a railway car, at one end thereof, illustrating my improvements in'connection therewith. Fig. 2is a horizontal, longitudinal, sectional view correspond-ing sub- A stantially to the line 2-2 of'Fig. 1. And

Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical, transverse, sectional views corresponding respectively ,to the lines 33 and 4-4: of Fig. 1. I j

In said drawing, 10-1O indicate the usual channel shaped center or draft sills of a IZtllway car underframe,having a yoke member 12 disposed therebetween, the yoke member being of-the horizontal type and having spaced side arms provided with the usual coupler key receiving slots at the forward ends 59 thereof. A shock absorbing mechanism of the draft sills. form is employed in connection with my improved railway draft rigging, and the same any well known type is disposed within the yoke. In the present instance, the shock absorbing mechanism is illustrated as of the friction type and comprises the usual'friction shell-.13 having friction shoes and a wedge memberjcooperating therewith. .The

shock absorblng means is supported by asad- I die plate 14 secured tothe bottom flanges of A coupler of well known is designated by 15. The coupler is provided with the usual shank which abuts a front follower 16 disposed within the yoke and cooperating'with the wedge member of the friction shock absorbing mechanism. The

coupler shankis anchored to the yoke memberb-y the usual coupler key 17 which extends transversely-of ;the shank and hasits opposite ends disposed within the slots of the side armsof the yoke.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a combined striking casting and supporting 'memberA; and a cooperating coupler carrying slide B. i

The combined "striking castingandsupporting member A is inthe form of a hollou box-like member having spaced vertically disposed side walls 18-18, and horizontally disposed spaced top and bottom walls 1919. The casting is open at the opposite ends, as clearly shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and

hasthe side walls providedwith laterally projecting vertical flanges 20-2O at the outerend thereof, the flanges 2OY-overhanging' the front end portions of. the-draft sills 10.

The top wall 19 of the casting A is provided with a vertical extension 21 at the forward end thereof formingthe striking memledges on which the arms of theyoke. mem:

ber ride. The depressed portion of the bottom wall 19 between the portions 24 forms a guide member for the coupler-carrying slide B. As clearly shown in Fig. 1, the bottom wall 19 of the casting A is shorter than the top wall and is reinforced by transverse webs 2525. The top wall 19 of the casting A is reinforced by a longitudinally extending central web 26. Adjacent the inner end, the

' of form stops 29 which act as front limiting stop lugs cooperating with the follower 16.

The side walls 18 of the casting A are provided with horizontally disposed slots 3030 which are adapted to accommodate the coupler key 17 for sliding movement. The slots 30 are reinforced by flanges surrounding the same, the flanges being seated in longitudinal openings 31 provided in the vertical webs of the draft sills. The openings 31 are open at the forward end, as indicated in Fig. 1, to permit assembling of the casting A with the draft sills, the casting being inserted between the draft sills inwardly of the underframe structure.

The carrier member or slide B is also in the formof a casting provided with a horizontal bottom wall 32 which rides directly on the bottom wall 19 of the casting A. At the forward end, the bottom wall 32 is upwardly offset, as indicated at 33 to provide a relatively wide supporting ledge which engages the bottom side of the coupler shank adjacent the coupler head. The wall section 33 is reinforced by a transverse front end wall section 3a and longitudinally disposed side wall sections 35-35. The wall section 32 is also rein forced by longitudinally extending vertically disposed side flanges 3636 and a central web 37 The flanges 36 and central web 37 are of such height that the upper edges thereof are below the top face of the wall 33. At the inner end, the casting B is provided with downwardly extending transversely disposed spaced flanges 38 and 39 connected by side wall sections. The flange 38 cooperates with the inner web 25 to limit the outward movement of the slide B. Rearwardly of the connecting end wall of the carrier slide B, the same is provided with a horizontal ledge 40 which directly supports the front main follower of the draft rigging. At the inner end, immediately in front of the ledge 40, the slide has a transverse rib 41 forming abutment means for the follower 16,

' whereby when the follower moves outwardly,

the slide is returned to normal position. The rib 41' also acts to limit outward movement of the follower when movement of the slide is arrested by engagement of the flange 38 with the innermost rib 25. The slide B is of such width as to fit freely within the guideway formed between the raised side sections 24 of the casting. At the forward end, the slide is guided between inwardly extending flanges 42 on the casting A. The inner end of the slide is provided with laterally extending lugs l343 which engage beneath the lower flanges of the sills 10, thereby guiding the slide and preventing upward tilting of the same.

In the present instance, my improvements are illustrated in connection with a railway draft rigging having a longer stroke in buff than in draft, the slots 30 in the side walls of the casting A being of such length as to permit the necessary greater inward than outward movement of the coupler key.

As clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, the supporting coupler carrying slide B is of such length as toform a support for the greater portion of the length of the coupler shank and also provide a support for the front main follower of the railway draft rigging, whereby the alinement of the coupler shank and the front main follower is at all times maintained, thus assuring proper alinement of the parts with the shock absorbing means of therailway draft rigging. Inasmuch as the coupler shank is supported closely adjacent the coupler head by the member B the shank rearwardly of said support overbalances the head and as the inner end of the shank abuts the wall 28 of the casting A, rocking movement of the coupler shank and drooping of the coupler head is prevented.

The operation of my improved railway draft rigging, during a bufling action, is as follows: The coupler 15 is carried inwardly, thereby forcing the front main follower 16 inwardly also against the friction shock absorbing mechanism 13. Due to the friction between the parts there will be a tendency of the slide B to move inwardly with the coupler shank, thus maintaining the front main follower in supporting relation with the slide. In case there is slippage between the coupler shank and the slide B, the slide will be positively moved inwardly by engagement of the coupler head therewith before the front main follower is disengaged from the supporting ledge 40. Inward movement of the coupler will finally be limited by engagement of the horn thereof with the striking face 21 of the striking casting. When the bufing force is reduced, the expansive action of the shock absorbing means restores the front follower 16 to its normal position and the fol-v lower in turn carries the coupler supporting slide B outwardly until its movement is arrested by engagement of the flange 38 with the web 25 'on the bottom wall of the combined striking casting and supporting mempm her A.

When a draft or pulling action is applied to the coupler 15, the yoke 12 will be carried outwardly therewith through the medium of the connecting couplerkey, thereby compressing the friction shock absorbing mechanism 13 between the inner end of the yoke and the front main follower 16, the follower 16 being held against outward movement by the stop shoulders of the striking casting.

I have herein shown and described what I now consider the preferred manner of carrying out my invention, but the same is merely illustrative and I contemplate all changes and modifications that come within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a draft rigging for railway cars, the combination with a coupler having a shank member; of a yoke having a keyed connection with the shank of the coupler; a fixed support on the car; a main front follower within the yoke; a slide movably guided on said support and engaging and supporting the coupler shank outwardly of thekeyed connection thereof with the yoke, said slide being movable lengthwise of the mechanism with respect to the yoke; and means on the inner end of the slide for supporting said front follower.

2. In a draft rigging for railway cars, the combination with a coupler having a shank member; of a horizontal yoke having a keyed connection with the coupler shank; a support at the end of the car; a slide guided for longi- 1,1 tudinal movement on said support, said slide engaging and supporting the coupler shank outwardly of the keyed connection thereof with the yoke; a front main follower within the yoke, said follower being supported on the inner end of said slide, said slide being movable inwardly of the yoke; abutment means on the slide engaged by said follower for moving said slide outwardly in unison with said follower; and stop means on the car for limiting outward movement of the slide. a

3. In a draft rigging for railway cars hav ing spaced draft sills, the combination with a casting fixed between said draft sills at the end of the car, said casting having a bottom 1 wall; of a supporting slide guided for movement lengthwise onsaid bottom wall; a yoke movable with respect to said slide; a coupler provided with a shank member havingv a keyed. connection with the yoke, said coupler shank member being supported on the slide outwardly of the keyed connection thereof with the yoke; and a horizontal top guide wall on said casting engaging and overhanging the top face of the butt end of the coupler shank in all operative positions thereof.

4. In a draft rigging for railway cars, the combination with a front stop casting having a supporting bottom wall and a transverse upper stop shoulder; of a slide guided lengthwise on said bottom wall, said slide having a transverse stop shoulder at the inner end thereof; interengaging means on said shde and casting for arresting outward movement of the slide when the stop shoulder thereof is in vertical alignment with the transverse stop shoulder of the casting; a yoke with respect to which said slide is movable; a cousaid stop shoulder of the casting and engag ing the upper side of the butt end of the coupler shank in all operative positions thereof.

5. In a draft rigging for railway cars, the combination with draft sills; of a yoke member interposed between the sills; a coupler having .a shank; means for connecting the coupler shank to the yoke to effect movement of the yoke with the coupler in draft and permit relative movement of the coupler and yoke in buff supporting means fixed to the car; and a movable slide guided for movement on said supportingmeans and interposed between said supporting means and the couplershank for supporting the latter, said slide normally projecting outwardly beyond said supporting means and having lateral extensions at the inner end slidably engaging the draft sills from beneath.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day of May, 1928.'

STACY B. HASELTINE. 

